When you meet someone and sparks fly, dating can be an exhilarating experience. You both seem to have the same opinions, tastes and sense of humour. In fact, it can feel like you have known each other for years. But you haven't.

Staying safe while dating is paramount to protecting yourself until you know your significant other enough to truly trust them. To begin with, it is important that someone knows where you are. Share details of dates with friends or family - where you are going and who you are with. If the date is the result of a lonely hearts column or an online hook-up, do not reveal your surname or address.

If you have any doubts, arm yourself with information on the person you will be spending time with. By entering their name into 192.com you can find out where they live and who else lives at that address.

If it looks like they could be married, cancel the arrangement. Any evidence suggesting they are not who they claim to be should sound alarm bells.

Always meet in a busy public place. Walking through a darkened park with an almost-stranger - regardless of how romantic this may seem - is an ill-advised move. If you do decide to meet in a bar, think about whether or not drinking alcohol is a good idea (see below). Do not leave drinks unattended; finish them before going to the bathroom or going outside to take a phone call. Have an exit plan in case you start to feel uncomfortable before the date is over - ask a friend to call you an hour into the meeting to check how things are going. Take note of your instincts - if you feel uneasy around someone, you are not obliged to stay.

Plan how you will get home from the arranged meeting place and carry a personal alarm. If your date is suspect, you will not regret it; if they aren't, you've lost nothing.

To drink or not to drink? Some words of wisdom

The arguments for and against drinking while dating are persuasive on each side of the coin. After a couple of glasses of wine a date can feel like a euphoric experience - but can also result in a cringeworthy morning-after situation. Drinking too much can also put you at unnecessary risk - if you don't keep your wits about you enough to stay safe.

American writer Don Marquis once said: "I drink only to make my friends seem interesting." The same theory can be applied to a dull date. Ever drank like a fish to compensate for the monosyllabic introvert across from you? Yes, alcohol can make a bad date bearable. However, it may lead to an unwanted second because your first impression is clouded by pinot grigio.

As Lady Astor - the first female to sit in the House of Commons - said: "One reason I don't drink is that I want to know when I am having a good time." If you soak up a brewery every time you meet a potential special someone, the chances of finding out who you really click with are very slim.

So when it comes to drinking while romancing, perhaps New York writer and cartoonist James Thurber had the wisest words: "One martini is all right. Two are too many, and three are not enough." Have one drink for courage, two if it's going well, but leave the third for date number two.